For an industrial location, controlling noise is an absolutely vital component of ensuring that everything is running smoothly. But the issue for many in the industrial space is determining what noise control method is the most cost-effective and long-lasting, solution. Here is our assessment of the top eight noise control techniques.
- Damping
Damping works great on applications such as chutes, machine guards, panels and tanks. It is achieved by using an unconstrained layer of damping material on top or in the middle of the regular sheet metal. While the unconstrained layer of damping is easier to achieve, it does not have as good an impact as the constrained layer damping. It can deliver anywhere from a 5 to 25 dB in noise reduction.
- Installing Fans
When completing fan installations, it is important to go for maximum efficiency. The idea is to get maximum fan efficiency, as it leads to minimum noise. The method will reduce noise by anywhere from 3 to 12 dB. By having bends close to the fan, or add dampers, the noise reduction is achieved easily.
- Fan Speed
The amount of noise that is produced by a fan is not directly proportional to its speed. That means even a small reduction in the fan speed can have a very good impact on the amount of noise that is generated. For instance, a 30 percent fan speed reduction may provide an 8 dB noise reduction. 50 percent would get up to 15 dB in reduction.
- Pneumatic Exhausts
By adding effective silencers, it is possible to get the pneumatic exhausts to a much lower sound level. This method can reduce the sound that comes out of the exhaust by 10 to 30 dB. Some of the issues that can arise involve back pressure, clogging or multiple exhausts.
- Vibration Isolation Pads
Larger machines and pumps make quite a bit of noise, while they also result in significant vibrations. Instead of killing the vibrations, which is almost impossible, it is a lot more sensible to isolate those vibrations so they are not impacting other machines. The type of tech needed for this method is vibration isolators which are readily available at isolationtech.com and other similar sites.
- Existing Machine Guards
The machine guards that are already on most industrial machines can be manipulated to achieve a much lower level of noise. The goal is to either minimize gaps, or add some type of acoustic absorbent. Minimizing gaps will reduce noise by 3 dB, while adding an acoustic absorbent usually involves lining the inside of the guards with something like foam or rockwool.
- Chain and Timing Belt Drives
Get rid of noisy chain drives and replace them with timing belts, which are a lot quieter. Using timing belts will deliver anywhere from 6 to 20 dB in noise reduction.
- Electric Motors
A big company will usually have an industrial location with plenty of electric motors. These are used as fans, pumps and other devices. But what many do not realize is that even general duty motors can perform similar jobs, but deliver anywhere from 10 to 15 dB less noise.
